Human Lie Detector
by izukillme
Summary: "It was a bright, happy morning. Birds chirped, the sky was cloudless, the sun shone warmly… and Sasuke could now apparently tell if someone was lying. Along with an accurate analysis that sounded like it had come out of a professor's thesis." – Or in which Sasuke reads a book on human body language as a child, and ends up being able to read everyone like… well, a book.
1. That Godforsaken Book!

**Hey, y'all! So, uh, this is my new story – it's written just for fun, and keep in mind that it is a SIDE PROJECT, to work on when I'm uninspired for other stories** **:D I wrote the first two chapters a couple of weeks ago when I wasn't feeling the itch for Daiki's Basketball and thought, since I'm back, might as well post and see what you guys think :) Enjoy!**

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_Chapter 1: That Godforsaken Book!_

* * *

Sasuke hung onto his older brother's arm, pointing desperately at the shelf that was just a little too high for him to reach.

"Human behaviour book," he said with a little difficulty.

When Itachi gave him a bemused stare, he repeated his words, slower this time. "Human behaviour," he whined, the word 'behaviour' clearer than before, jabbing his little finger at the white spine which bore the words 'A Concise Study of Human Behaviours'.

"Sasuke, I'm not sure-"

"_Human behaviour," _Sasuke insisted, angry tears forming in his eyes.

"You're three and a half, I don't think you'll understand anything-" Itachi tried, but Sasuke wouldn't listen.

"BOOK!" he shrieked, stamping on the carpeted floor of the library. Itachi winced, expecting the librarian to come over and yell at them, but she just smiled.

"I said the same thing last time," she whispered to Itachi. "He insisted on that book. I think he likes it. It won't hurt to indulge him; he's just a child."

Itachi gulped. A study of humans wasn't exactly something a toddler should read… but then again, Sasuke wasn't a normal toddler, and Itachi himself had started out reading at the age of three with 'The Art of War', so he wasn't one to judge.

"All right, little brother," he murmured to Sasuke, kissing the top of the child's head and selecting the book from the shelf. He picked Sasuke up in his other arm, nestling him in the crook of his elbow, and found a comfortable seat. Then he placed his little brother in his lap and opened the book so it rested on Sasuke's knee, asking, "Where did you leave off last time?"

"Page forty-five," Sasuke answered, almost without that childish lisp that inevitably accompanied all Uchihas as babies. "I want to read by my-" he patted his own chest, searching for the word, and smiled like an angel when he remembered. "By myself," he clarified proudly. "Don't need Ita-nii reading to me."

Itachi felt both pain and pride at Sasuke's words. On one hand, his baby brother was so advanced already – more than even Itachi had been at his age. But on the other… Sasuke was growing up so quickly, it was almost as if he didn't _need_ his nii-san. At all. Itachi had to admit, it hurt a little.

"Okay," he answered hesitantly. "Do you need help opening it?" For all Sasuke was mentally and intellectually mature, he was a little lacking in the physical department – natural since he _was_ only a toddler – and holding a book as thick as this one could prove a little hard.

Sasuke nodded. "Mm."

Itachi turned to the page Sasuke had left off at and sat back, watching his little brother read avidly. A contented smile spread across his face as he ruffled Sasuke's hair and kissed his head, the younger not even noticing in his focus.

* * *

Four hours later and Sasuke had whizzed through a hundred more pages – incredible speed for a child of his age. Itachi, who'd fallen asleep shortly after ruffling Sasuke's hair, awoke to the sound of the nine-o'-clock bell and gasped, sitting straight up.

"Mom's going to kill us," he hissed, picking Sasuke up. His little brother reached for the book, and Itachi wearily swatted his hand away. "We can come back tomorrow, Sasuke. We have to go home now."

Sasuke yawned widely, setting the book down, and blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, nii-chan," he mumbled, already half-asleep.

Itachi smiled fondly at his baby brother, cradled in his arms, and walked out of the library, heart and mind at peace despite knowing that he was going to receive the scolding of a lifetime when he got home. Sasuke was the baby – he could do no wrong in Mikoto or Fugaku's eyes – and Itachi inevitably ended up taking the fall, but he didn't mind all that much.

He got an earful for allowing Sasuke to stay up so late – "it's past _both_ your bedtime, forget dinner!" – but it was worth it just to see the expression on the toddler's face when Itachi tucked him in and promised to take him to the library again tomorrow.

The brothers fell asleep snuggled up against each other, Itachi curled around Sasuke like an overprotective mother cat, the younger's head on his chest. Their sleep was peaceful and undisturbed, completely ignorant of the bombshells that were going to drop the next morning.

* * *

**So how was it? I basically spewed a bunch of random ideas here, lmao. Again, this is NOT GOING TO BE UPDATED REGULARLY until a) I finish Daiki's Basketball or b) I decide I like this enough to make it a main project XD. There are going to be a LOT of changes to the canon, as Sasuke will be able to tell who is lying to him and who is not - case in point, a "certain man" he once vowed to kill. Sasuke will have a very strong sense of justice and be... quite different, ahaha **

**Please do review/fav/follow if you enjoyed! Preferably all three ;) **

**Love, Ceru **


	2. Debut of the Human Lie Detector

**Yeesh, I'm back quick, aren't I? (I may or may not have had this pre-written. Sue me.) More notes at the end, y'all don't have to read them but I suggest you do for certain reasons. After you finish the chapter, of course ;)**

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_Chapter__ 2: Debut of the Human Lie Detector _

* * *

It was a bright, happy morning. Birds chirped, the sky was cloudless, the sun shone warmly... and Sasuke could now apparently tell if someone was lying. Along with an accurate analysis that sounded like it had come out of a professor's thesis.

How did they find this out, you ask? Well, Itachi had woken up earlier than everyone else, stomach grumbling for some food. He'd decided to sneak down to the kitchens to grab something, but had ended up knocking over – and breaking – his mother's favourite plate. Now the wrath of Mikoto Uchiha was not something to be taken lightly, and as such Itachi fled the scene as soon as he could, not bothering to think about what would happen when his mother found the broken plate on the kitchen floor.

He'd cowered under his bed for a solid half hour until Mikoto bellowed, "_Fugaku and Itachi, down here right now!_" Then he had run downstairs, an excited Sasuke in tow, and asked, "What is it, Mom?"

Mikoto had glared at her eldest and asked, "Itachi Uchiha, did you break this plate or not?!"

Itachi had gulped a little, shifting awkwardly, and lied as calmly as he could, "I haven't been to the kitchen since dinner last night. So, no."

And then Sasuke, after studying him intently for a minute, had declared, "Nii-san's lying."

They'd all frozen, staring at the youngest Uchiha in utter shock. Sasuke went on to clarify, "You can see by the way he's standing, he has a closed pos – poster?" He'd tilted his little head in confusion.

"Posture?" Fugaku had asked unsurely.

Sasuke had nodded. "Mm-hm. And he swallowed before lying, I saw his throat bob. You don't swallow unless your throat is dry or too much water formed in your mouth, and that only happens when you're worried or scared of something."

"Saliva," Itachi'd corrected, unable to stop himself. Mikoto had thrown him a glare. "Stop that, Itachi. Go on, Sasuke," she added tenderly, smiling at her younger son.

_Favouritism_, Itachi had thought, stomach burning at the unfairness.

"Nii-san is frowning a little. And his eye is twitching. That's his tell when he's lying." Sasuke had pointed out. "And his neck is sweating. Also, if you observe the hollow of his throat-"

Two pairs of eyes – Mikoto and Fugaku – had immediately latched on to Itachi's throat.

"It's throbbing almost visibly. Which means his heart is going at an accele – cele-" Sasuke'd struggled with the word, and Mikoto completed, "Accelerated?"

"Mm-hm, that. It's going at a faster rate, and that's because he's lying. Nii-san broke the plate." Sasuke had finished, little chest puffing up in pride.

"Sa – Sasuke?" Fugaku had asked, shaken. "How do you – know all this?"

"It was in a book I read," Sasuke'd said plainly. "About how humans behave. Tells and postures and body language."

"A – a what," Fugaku said faintly. "A book? Sasuke, you can't even read yet-"

Mikoto had cut in tiredly, "Fugaku, he's been reading since he was one."

Fugaku shook his head. "I swear I don't know half the things that go on in this house."

Meanwhile, Itachi's eyes had shot wide as he realised which book Sasuke was referring to.

_Oh shit_.

"I should never have let him read that," he'd murmured half to himself. Unfortunately, Mikoto heard.

"You're allowing my baby to read books on human tells?!" she had screeched. "What kind of big brother are you, Itachi?!"

He had received another earful from his mother that morning. Itachi shuddered – an hour later and his ears were _still _throbbing. He massaged them idly as he leaned against the pillar on the veranda, enjoying the late morning breeze.

"Itachi."

Itachi jumped at his father's voice and whirled, asking, "Yes, Father?"

Fugaku looked grim as he said, "At any cost, we must keep Sasuke away from Ibiki Morino. If you allow Ibiki to learn about your brother's… erm, talents, I will consider it a failure to the Uchiha name."

Itachi gulped. Ibiki Morino discovering Sasuke's newfound ability… he shuddered at the thought. The man was acclaimed for mind-rape – God knows what he'd try to do to Itachi's baby brother.

"Of course, Dad," he replied, still a little shaken up by the remembrance of Konoha's scariest ninja. Ibiki was a person who'd managed to make _Itachi _almost pee in his pants.

"So what do you think of Sasuke's new ability?" Fugaku asked, and Itachi shook his head.

"I really don't know what to think. It's just… crazy. But I have a theory as to who it works on."

Fugaku's brows creased. "Explain."

"I'm still young, and not as used to lying as an adult like you, Dad. Sasuke is your son and my brother; he naturally has sharp vision, powerful observation skills and an excellent memory. To top it off, his intellectual prowess is farther than even mine when I was his age. That combined with him knowing me well makes it very easy for him to catch me lying. Predicting your tells would be harder, because though he knows you, you're older and have lied more. You wouldn't display the same signs I exhibited this morning, like the sweating and the swallowing. The heartbeat factor remains, but less accelerated in your case because you're used to it." Itachi explained.

"What are you guys talking about?" chirped a little voice, and both Itachi and Fugaku turned, wearing identical expressions of dread, as Sasuke stared innocently up at them, eyes two big question marks.

"Eh, nothing," Itachi laughed nervously, trying to calm the pounding in his veins at Sasuke appearing so suddenly. _What if he heard us?!_

Sasuke did not blink. "You're lying again," he said clearly. "It doesn't look good on you, nii-san."

Itachi heard a snicker and whipped around to glare at his father, who was feebly attempting to hide his laughter behind a hand. "_Dad!_"

"Sorry, sorry," Fugaku laughed, waving his older son off. He bent down so his face was level with Sasuke's. "Itachi's telling the truth. He was just, erm, startled because you appeared out of nowhere, so he started showing those tells. Maybe you shouldn't have popped up so suddenly – it surprised both of us, you know?"

Sasuke pouted. "Stop lying to me."

Fugaku choked.

"H – how do you know?"

Sasuke's voice flattened to a clinical tone. "Your voice dropped a little as you spoke. That indicates nervousness. You were wiping your hands on your pants – that means they were sweating, another sign of being nervous. You sounded a little too calm as well – no one is that composed when they're speaking. That shows that you aren't telling me the truth."

Fugaku laughed sheepishly. "I guess so, son. Sorry, but I can't tell you right now."

Sasuke frowned cutely. "You never tell me anything."

Fugaku smiled. "Sorry, Sasuke. This isn't for your ears. But do you want to watch me and Itachi train later?"

The little boy brightened immediately at the prospect of training, his frown turning into a happy grin. "Okay!"

"Why don't you run along and help your mother in the kitchen now? I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Fugaku patted Sasuke's head gently and sent him off.

Then he turned slowly to face Itachi, glaring. "You were wrong," he hissed.

Itachi shrugged, unable to restrain the small smile on his face. "I'm not always right," he replied.

"And stop smiling. You look like a damned Cheshire cat. No need to be so happy." Fugaku scowled.

Itachi simply grinned up at his father. "A little something I like to call 'payback', Dad," he retorted, and dashed off before Fugaku's tickling fingers could attack him, the clan head howling, "You little-! Just _wait _until I get my hands on you!"

* * *

**Here's the second chapter! There won't be an update for a little while as I'm focusing on Daiki's Basketball, but I'll make sure to add at least two chapters by mid-May! It's gonna come in short bursts, please don't mind :)**

**And for those questioning, yes, this will have a dash of romance, and yes, it is going to be Sasuke/Naruto, or SasuNaru, but not a yaoi. For those confused, yaoi is homophobic in nature, content made for homophobic heterosexual women to enjoy. Stories like 'Rammy says ilu 8D' are the ones I aspire to write like, in that they provide wholesome Sasuke x Naruto without calling it, or being, yaoi. They provide good LGBT+ representation and deal well with all aspects of having a crush/falling for someone of your own gender!**

**I hope y'all enjoyed this, please leave me your thoughts on it! **

**Love, Ceru**


	3. Thief or Thieved?

**Wow, this came out a lot earlier than I expected. So my novel kinda flopped today, and I felt the itch for this, so why the hell not?  
As I've stated before, this is not a main project. It'll update really slowly and sporadically. Sorry, guys, I know this is my most popular story... but I just find it easier to sideline this for now. I swear, though, every word comes from my heart, and I love this fic. Comments make a girl happy, so please provide them!**

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_Chapter 3: Thief or Thieved?_

* * *

Sasuke hummed as he skipped happily along the bridge. And what reason didn't he have to be happy? Nii-san had made him special tomato onigiri, and played with him too, which was rare these days since he was always busy with ninja work.

He hopped off the bridge onto the bank of the little stream that ran through the Uchiha property, and grabbed a flat stone. Sasuke angled his wrist, eyeing the smoothest part of the water, and flicked the stone across the surface. One, two, three, four, five, six, and then it sank. His best record yet! The little boy jumped in happiness, a pleased flush painting his cheeks.

Then he jumped again – but not in joy. No, Sasuke had heard a sound, a _strange _sound, one that shouldn't be here.

A few scuffs followed the wordless growl, and Sasuke tiptoed curiously towards the source of the voice. It was coming from behind the bushes that separated the clan head's quarters from the rest of the district; Sasuke gently parted them so he had a better view of the annoyed boy beyond.

He looked around seven years older than Shisui-san, about nineteen if Sasuke's math was correct. His head was crowned with a shock of pale, silvery hair that fell towards the left, rather like his mother's mop when it was dry. His headband was worn asymmetrically, covering one eye, which Sasuke thought was rather impractical. A mask obscured the lower half of his face, and he was dressed in ANBU gear, his animal mask just poking out of his flak jacket. And his one visible dark eye was screwed up in rage and pain.

The unidentified boy kicked viciously at a rock, which headed straight for Sasuke's hiding place and caught him in the knee.

"Ow!" Sasuke couldn't help letting out a shriek, the harsh impact having scraped his knee and making it bleed. He climbed indignantly out of the bushes, quivering with childish righteousness.

"That hurt!" he told the stranger loudly, glaring up at him with all the rage a three-year-old could muster.

The boy raised an eyebrow sceptically, some of the anger from earlier still on his face. "Yeah, like I care."

Sasuke blushed furiously at being brushed off so easily. "W – well, you should! 'Cause it was mean!"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Again, like I care."

"Kakashi," came a deep, familiar voice; his father. "Stop that, now. Sasuke is just a little boy, he's not a target for your anger."

Kakashi. So that was the stranger's name.

Sasuke rolled it around on his tongue a little, pronouncing with some difficulty, "_Kakashi_,"

Kakashi turned to him, irritated. "No need to be so familiar."

"Really, Kakashi," Fugaku started to intervene, but Kakashi snorted.

"Fugaku-san, with all due respect, why am I still here? I don't know why you called me and frankly, I don't want to. Thank you for your time, I'll be leaving now."

Fugaku sighed. "Kakashi, please just listen to me for five minutes. The very reason I brought you here is Sasuke."

Sasuke cocked his head. _Father called this rude guy because of me?_

Kakashi just sniffed. "If it has to do with him, I want to be involved even less."

"It will help you heal-" Fugaku tried, but Kakashi cut him off.

"I don't need healing!" he snapped acerbically. "I'm _fine_!"

There was raw pain in his voice that he couldn't hide behind the annoyed tone. Sasuke almost winced at how _harsh _it was.

And he flashed out of the compound, leaving Fugaku looking tired and an extremely curious little Sasuke.

"Tell me, Sasuke," Fugaku started, "what did you think of him?"

"He was very rude!" Sasuke began with the wronged tone of a three-year-old. "He hit me with a stone, look!" And he pointed at the half-dried blood on his knee.

Fugaku smiled at his son.

"That's all right, I can heal that for you."

He pressed his hands to the wound and it disappeared in seconds. A pleasant cooling sensation settled over the knee. That's why Sasuke loved when his father healed wounds: Fugaku was an exceptionally skilled medic and his healing was gentle and sweet, just like his inner self that he showed only to his loved ones.

"And he was so horrible to you," Sasuke continued indignantly.

Fugaku laughed. "Yes, other than being horrible. Do you think he was lying about anything?"

"Yes," Sasuke said with absolute certainty. Kakashi's lie had been tangible, almost. "About being okay. 'Cause he's not."

"Well, what do you think he is, if not okay?"

"He's… really sad," Sasuke realised aloud. "There was lots of pain in his voice. And he sounded super angry, too, at you and me."

Fugaku nodded intently. "Go on."

Sasuke frowned, brain running at a hundred miles per hour. And then it hit him; why Kakashi's behaviour had been so odd.

"He wasn't really angry at us… if he was, he would've been harsher. He was pretending about that, too.

"I think he was angry at himself."

"…"

Sasuke looked up at his father in consternation. Why was Fugaku goggling at him like that?

Before he could blink, he was picked up, given a tight hug and a kiss on the head, and bundled over his father's shoulder, the man crying, "Mikoto, our boy's a genius!"

* * *

Kakashi kicked at another few stones as he walked, mouth set in a bitter line under his mask.

_Why am I still here?_

He'd meant that question in more than one way. Fugaku-san had caught on, and the kid… Kakashi really couldn't be sure.

Sasuke? Yes, it was Sasuke. He was, what, three? And yet, his eyes were bright with intelligence. A little _too_ bright for Kakashi's taste.

God, he _hated _smart kids.

Kakashi scowled and kicked the ground some more. Sparks danced at his fingertips, and he found himself itching to unleash a Chidori on the ground, just to blow off some steam.

_Why did Fugaku-san want me to meet the kid anyways? _wondered the ever-curious part of him.

There _had_ to be something about Sasuke Uchiha. And knowing Fugaku's sudden concern about Kakashi's mental health, it probably had to do with therapy.

Though, a three-year-old therapist?

Well, it really wasn't a far cry, seeing as Fugaku's eight-year-old was a bleeding _philosopher…_

Kakashi internally groaned and cursed his curious side, knowing he wouldn't be able to let this go.

Because now he _needed_ to know.

What was so special about the youngest Uchiha?

* * *

**For those confused about the chapter title: it means, is Kakashi a thief? Or has he _been_ thieved (of happiness)?**


	4. A Little More Clarity

**Might as well post a new chapter before 2019 ends. Happy Holidays! 3 Thank you for all the comments :3**

**I ACCIDENTALLY POSTED WRONG CHAPTER SORRY! Here's the right one. Thank you reviewers who pointed it out - NaturalDsaster (glad you do follow the fic on Ao3 lol; I don't have as much trouble there since it's just copy paste as opposed to FFN with docs and stuff) and Caesar704! **

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_Chapter 4: A Little More Clarity_

* * *

"No," he murmured feverishly, eyebrows furrowed in a restless frown above his closed eyes. He strained against invisible ropes, throwing his head back in imaginary pain. A few moans escaped his lips, increasing in volume as he fell further into his vivid dream.

"Please, _no_. No! I'll do anything – don't do this. _Please_,"

The thrashing ceased, and he became motionless. His lips were pressed tightly together, and his chin wobbled, but despite all his efforts a few stray tears still traced burning tracks down his cheeks.

"Please," he whispered, shivering. "_Please. _Don't take them away from me." There was stillness for a full minute, the only sound in the darkened room his breathing.

Then a scream erupted from his throat, and the tears started to gush out again.

"_Obito! Rin! NO!"_

Kakashi's eyes snapped open, and he flew into an upright position, breathing heavily as he was reminded of where he was – safe in his bedroom at home.

_It's okay_, he tried to tell himself. _It's okay, it's not real, it's not real – _

The taste of bile burned the back of his throat, and Kakashi raced out of bed to the bathroom, staring desperately at his crimson-soaked hands once he was done emptying the contents of his stomach into the sink. He knew from bitter experience that the blood on them wouldn't wash away no matter how hard he scrubbed, but he tried anyways.

The next morning, Kakashi woke with bloody handprints on his sheets.

* * *

Mikoto pressed a hand against her aching forehead, trying to push back the memories that were banging at the doors to her mind and demanding to be let in. She sighed and slumped against one of the wooden pillars on the porch, staring up at the blue sky where birds soared freely and wishing she could be one of them, too.

Mikoto started at the sound of soft footfalls behind her and reacted before she could complete her thought, flicking a kunai backwards without even looking. A distressed, "Ow!" made her whirl and stare in shock at her husband, who was nursing the slice on his cheek that the knife had made. The kunai quivered in the wooden wall inches away from Fugaku's face, and Mikoto stooped over her fallen husband's body in alarm, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you all right?" she questioned, asking more about the shock she'd given him than the wound itself. Fugaku was more than capable of healing it in a minute.

"I'm fine," he croaked. "Just surprised. Can you get off? I can't – uh-"

Mikoto finally got the hint when Fugaku's face started to turn purple and sprang nimbly up, blushing a little at her absent-mindedness.

"What's gotten into you today?" Fugaku asked, regaining his breath. Mikoto inhaled slowly, the headache gone since the tidal wave of memory had abated, and spoke.

"I've been remembering the war," she said softly. "It's… very hard to stop the memories from consuming me if I don't push them back with all my will. That struggle between myself and my mind causes these horrifying headaches."

Fugaku sighed. "How many times have I told you to go and see Inoichi? He can help, Mikoto."

Mikoto shook her head fiercely, agitation at the suggestion colouring her words. "_No_! Inoichi is a good man, but Fugaku, you've seen his idea of help. He'll wipe my memories, or at least blur them enough that they don't bother me. I'd rather remember everyone who lived and died in crystal clear detail and hurt myself than forget and save the pain."

Fugaku pinched the bridge of his nose, giving a sad laugh. "So stubborn."

Mikoto was quick to retort, "Takes one to know one." And she wasn't wrong, either. Fugaku had served as a battlefield medic, and the things he'd seen were almost as bad as what she had.

But that was one of the reasons why they made such a good pair. They were both shattered, and both knew what loss was like. They knew exactly what the other needed in times like these, times when the memories got too much to handle.

Mikoto let out a breath and leaned back against Fugaku, who had come to stand behind her. He placed a kiss on the crown of her head and put his fingers at her temples, pretending to draw out all the tension. Miraculously, the funny action worked to loosen Mikoto's furrowed brows, and she let out a sunny laugh, the tightness in her chest dissipating a little.

Together they watched the sky for a little longer in comfortable silence before going back inside the house and resuming the daily drudgery of life.

* * *

Three short, sharp knocks resounded at the door of the Uchiha clan head's residence, and Itachi flew downstairs from where he had been writing a report, excitedly shouting, "I'll get it!" He'd been itching for a distraction from boring old mission reports, and clan code maintained that if guests were over it was an heir's _duty_ to entertain them. And Itachi couldn't ignore his duty, now could he?

Smiling widely, he threw open the door. The sight there, however, made the grin drop completely off his face.

A masked man stood in the doorway, single unveiled eye glaring daggers at Itachi, his shock of lopsided silver hair wobbling as he demanded dangerously, "Where's your father?"

Itachi stood stock-still, barely holding his composure together.

This was _Kakashi Hatake. _The Sharingan thief, _friend-killer_ Kakashi, the boy who had been responsible for Cousin Obito's death. The man who all Uchihas were warned to simultaneously keep an eye on and stay away from.

Kakashi Hatake was standing on his doorstep with the desire to _enter his home_.

"I'll get him right away," he managed to squeak out, admirably keeping a tremor out of his voice.

Kakashi leaned casually on the doorjamb and nodded his chin at Itachi as if to say, _get a move on_. Itachi gulped and turned around, calling as loudly as he dared, "Dad? Mom? There's someone here to see you!"

He knew that Kakashi hadn't asked for his mother, but Mikoto Uchiha was a prodigy in her own right. If anyone could take down the dangerous friend-killer, should it come to that, no one was more fit for the task than Mikoto.

Itachi waited with bated breath, staying as still as he could and doing his best not to stare at Kakashi. When his parents finally burst in, he let out an imaginary sigh of relief.

But to his surprise, Fugaku's face split into a smile when he saw the visitor.

"Kakashi!" he crowed, and was that a hint of _smugness_ in his tone? Itachi dearly hoped not. "Why, come on in, young man! What's this about?"

Kakashi stepped in reluctantly, and Fugaku drew an arm around his shoulder, escorting him to the couch. Itachi followed with interest, wanting to know what was going on. His father was _welcoming_ the friend-killer – it was certainly strange, and certainly piqued Itachi's curiosity.

"So?" Mikoto prompted, taking her own seat and gesturing for Kakashi to sit. He did so half-heartedly, staring at the sofa as if it was crawling with disgusting germs. Itachi felt personally offended – he dusted that thing to perfection every day as a part of his chores, and Itachi Uchiha was nothing short of perfect. "What brings you here, Kakashi-kun?"

"Mikoto-san, I…" Kakashi seemed almost nervous, wiping his hands on his pants. "I…"

"Whaz going on?" asked a new voice from the stairs. Itachi whirled to see Sasuke standing there, clutching his stuffed dinosaur and pouting. "Everyone talking wi'out me?"

"Sasuke!" Kakashi greeted, and was that _enthusiasm _in his tone?! Itachi immediately went on guard, discreetly reaching for the kunai pouch on his leg. "Do you remember me?"

_Does he what?! Sasuke's _met_ this man?! _Itachi thought, fear for his brother shooting up his spine.

Sasuke, unexpectedly, scowled (something that had zero effect, since he was at the age where even temper tantrums simply looked cute). "Daddy," he asked Fugaku, ignoring Kakashi – Itachi felt a stab of pride at that – "why is the mean man being nice to me?"

Kakashi choked. Itachi hid his laugh behind his palm. Fugaku almost wheezed, but controlled himself at the last second.

"Come here, Sasuke," he called instead, and Sasuke came running over, pausing to give Itachi's leg a quick hug before rushing to his father.

"I think," said Fugaku, and the smugness was evident this time in his smirk as he looked at Kakashi, "that the mean man is here for you."

Kakashi's face turned red. Itachi smirked to himself – scratch scary, this was _amusing_!

Sasuke's eyes went wide. "Oh, but he isn't mean." he said out loud. "He was just sad."

Kakashi choked yet again, and Fugaku couldn't control his uproarious laughter this time. "Yes! That's exactly right. I think that's what he's here to talk to you about," he said jovially to Sasuke, who nodded seriously.

Itachi and Mikoto shared mystified looks, completely stunned. Kakashi then composed himself, breathing in deeply, and looked at the father and son.

"When you said you had called me because of Sasuke…" he started slowly, "what did you mean? And what did he mean that I was sad, not rude?"

Fugaku smiled slyly. "I'll tell you the whole story only if you're willing to speak with me afterwards about _it_," he said meaningfully. Kakashi let out a groan – Itachi bristled at the disrespect he was showing to the Uchiha clan head – but nevertheless, he nodded.

"Deal. Now tell me about your three-year-old therapist."

Even Itachi and Mikoto couldn't help their chuckles at that. Fugaku grinned, lifting Sasuke up and bouncing him on his knee.

"Well, it all started with-" he began, but was cut off by Itachi, who was filled with a sudden eagerness.

"Dad, I was there when it happened. Let me?" he asked with pleading eyes.

Fugaku nodded to Itachi, then to Kakashi. "You heard him," he said. "Go on, Itachi."

Every eye in the room turned to Itachi as he took a deep breath.

"It all began with a book, really."


	5. Baby Steps

_Chapter 5: Baby Steps_

* * *

Kakashi listened with bated breath as the older Uchiha boy, Itachi, told the story of how Sasuke had become so clever at detecting lies. It seemed almost impossible that a little boy should be able to imbibe information so well and so quickly, and yet there _were_ some plausible theories; did Sasuke have an eidetic memory? Perhaps he had activated his Sharingan – though, thinking about it, Kakashi dearly hoped he hadn't.

(He ignored the voice that asked him why he even cared.)

Maybe it was something else. This kind of thing had been known to happen, if rarely; children who were read to from 'adult' books over a period had been observed to pick up the information. Still, it didn't explain how Sasuke was reading at the age of three and a half, or how he had actually managed to put that information to such good use.

Kakashi sighed as Itachi completed his story, finishing with an incident that had occurred a couple of days before he'd visited the compound and found out about Sasuke.

"So… your kid read a book and now he can… do shit from it," he stated bluntly.

Itachi frowned at him and opened his mouth, but Mikoto beat him to it.

"I will not have you swearing in front of my _son_, Kakashi-kun!" she reprimanded in a soft voice which had an undercurrent of steel running through it. Kakashi gulped, making a mental note to watch his tongue from now on. Mikoto Uchiha was not a woman to be trifled with.

"Essentially," Fugaku continued, "yes. I suppose. Sasuke?" He turned to the little boy, whose mouth was still set in a semblance of a pout, as if asking for his opinion.

"I's more like… I guess I jus' read it and remembered the s'uff," Sasuke explained very seriously, dropping his small pout.

"You're three," Kakashi said disbelievingly. "How can you _read_?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, glaring defiantly up at him. "I jus' can! I been reading since I was one says Ita-nii and Mom!"

Kakashi lifted his incredulous gaze to Fugaku. "_How_," he repeated, slow and quiet, not so much a question as a stunned statement.

Fugaku laughed wearily. "I didn't know either. Chalk it down to the hospital drama that's been going on these past few years, I haven't been able to pay as much attention as I'd like to the boys."

"That's not true," said Mikoto immediately, and in her eyes Kakashi could read a hint of desperation. Just the barest hint, but it was enough for him to infer what she was thinking. Mikoto Uchiha's 'perfect' family was just that, had to be, and she wasn't about to let a stranger know that more of the responsibility had fallen on her shoulders than they were letting on. "Is it, boys?"

Itachi shifted uncomfortably, and Sasuke looked away. That was all the confirmation Kakashi needed.

"Mikoto," Fugaku said softly, placing a hand on her knee. "It's fine. We both know it's true, and things have calmed down now anyways, so I'll be able to do more for them, yes?"

Both children seemed to perk up at that, looking eagerly at first their mother, then their father. Itachi's excitement was slightly more disguised than Sasuke's, but he was a little boy, too, and couldn't contain his joy for too long.

"Yes," Mikoto acceded with a sigh. Then she turned back to Kakashi, asking, "Anyways, let's get back to the topic at hand. Kakashi-kun, why were you so interested in my little one?"

Kakashi hesitated. He could tell her it was just curiosity, but Mikoto Uchiha wasn't one of the finest ninja alive for nothing.

"I… I don't think I should speak about it in front of the kids," he said quietly, staring down at his hands. His lips seemed to move on their own, the part of his heart that he had squashed away for so long taking control. The part that still thrummed with tenderness, that wasn't scarred over and locked away, that knew he needed serious help. "But I suppose Itachi's old enough to know, and if Sasuke is to be a part of this he should know too."

"Know what?" Fugaku asked carefully.

Kakashi swallowed.

"I need help," he admitted softly, looking at his shoes. Ninja – especially jōnin like him – did _not_ ask for help. Ninjas didn't go to therapy, they sucked it up and kept moving. Except… Kakashi didn't know if he _could_. Not anymore, now that Sasuke had forced him to face the fact that his anger wasn't anger.

And call him weak for it, but Kakashi allowed the part of his soul that knew it needed this to take over. He let it speak, because he was too tired to continue on like this.

"And I think that Sasuke can help me."

"What?" Itachi shouted fiercely and sprang up like a thunderbolt, pressing a kunai to Kakashi's neck before he realised what was going on. "You're not doing anything to Sasuke!"

Holy _shit_, Kakashi now fully comprehended why they called Itachi Uchiha a prodigy.

"Itachi!" said Fugaku sternly. "Knife down."

Itachi looked resentfully at his father, but lowered the knife. Kakashi felt at his Adam's apple, and his fingers came away wet with blood.

"Nice, kid," he couldn't help complimenting. "It's been a while since someone could get the drop on me."

Itachi glared balefully at him, then turned to Mikoto. "Permission to gut him if he tries anything with Sasuke?"

"He won'," said Sasuke himself, staring at Kakashi with those too-wise dark eyes. "I know he won'. He's a good person, even if he ac's mean sometimes."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at his brother, but gave in. "I won't question your judgment, little brother. You're the expert on humans here," he said with a small laugh.

Sasuke nodded, eyes still firmly glued to Kakashi. "Go on, Kashi-san."

"It's _Ka_kashi," corrected Kakashi automatically.

Sasuke shrugged. "Kashi easier," he said, as if that was an adequate explanation. Kakashi briefly debated the lucrativeness of this idea of his, but a nod from Fugaku had him remembering where he was and what he had come for.

"I think that he can understand what is my pain, where it stems from, so that I can start working on it. Getting better at accepting it, I mean," he added hastily.

"So my boy would be a therapist to you?" Fugaku asked with a stern gaze.

Kakashi shook his head. "No. He might be able to tell me what I'm feeling without poking around in my head is all. I know-" he paused, swallowing and steeling himself for the admission that was to come, "I know it makes me a weak ninja-"

"Stop right there!" said Mikoto firmly, glaring at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Kakashi sighed to himself. He should've known… this wasn't a good idea. What mother in her right mind would volunteer her son as a therapist for a broken man like him?

But Mikoto Uchiha's next words proved him wrong as she said angrily, "Knowing you need help does _not_ make you weak!"

Kakashi stared at her, a little stunned. "I… what?" His mouth tasted mildly like cotton.

Mikoto Uchiha, Iron Lady of Konoha, the woman famous for saying that emotion had no place on the battlefield, was telling him that needing help didn't make him weak?

"Emotion makes you lose grip on the real world's battlefield. But in the battle of your mind, admitting defeat _isn't _weak because your mind is an entirely different playing field. It's okay to be weaker than your demons. That's what you have allies for," Mikoto continued. Her gaze was faraway, as if she was recalling some distant past. "Allies make you stronger. And when you're injured, they help you heal. An injured soldier must not keep fighting; his life is more important than a battle that he will certainly lose if he pretends that he is unhurt."

She sounded as if she was speaking from experience. Suddenly Kakashi felt so much smaller and less worldly-wise than he had thought he was. Mikoto's words made sense, and the part of his soul that was controlling his body accepted the words gladly, soaking them up like a healing balm.

He felt like a child again, one who was looking for comfort after a crippling loss, who wanted to be told that everything would be all right. If not now, then later. And Mikoto's little speech just now seemed exactly that – reassuring words, truthful and simple, but comforting nevertheless.

"Mikoto-san…" Kakashi spoke slowly, debating his words before he said them out loud. "I… need Sasuke's help. But I don't think that he is old enough to hear of my troubles. Would it be all right if I were to speak with Fugaku-san or you until Sasuke is a little older?"

"In half a year," Mikoto said decisively.

"He'll be only four. Isn't that still too young?" asked Fugaku, the medic side of him coming to the forefront.

Mikoto exhaled. "He will turn four then, and start to understand the true meaning of things. Itachi saw a war when he was four, to impress upon him the nature of life and death. I believe that Sasuke must also start to mature by then, to look underneath the underneath. It is a cruel world, one that foists upon children responsibilities that they should not have. But until we are able to change it, we must go along with the natural order of things." She looked up at Kakashi. "Six months, Kakashi-kun. You may spend some time with Sasuke and Itachi, get comfortable with them before you start your therapy sessions. I want you to not just be a patient, but also a friend to my boys. An older brother."

The words 'like Obito couldn't' went unsaid, but Kakashi still heard them and understood them. And he took them to heart, hiding them safely and securely where he knew that the bitterness wouldn't permeate.

_Obito… in the days to come, my broken side may take over again. But for now, the part of me that is willing to forgive myself is in control, so I have the courage to say this to you. I will do this. I will do it for you, for Rin. _

_It's the least that I can do for you both._

"Of course." he replied, meeting Mikoto's gaze with resolute eyes that contained emotion Kakashi hadn't showed in years. "I swear it."

* * *

**man! i wrote this in a burst through a splitting headache, but the writing helped the headache, strangely. i gotta go study for finals, but i love y'all and really wanted to update since it's already two months into 2020. i think you guys will really like this chapter, ahaha. i know i loved writing it!**

**please leave a review if you enjoyed. they are my LIFEBLOOD.**

**much love and i'll see you in a month's time!**


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